Revelations By The Fire
by Shipperwolf
Summary: Marcus does some contemplating with Blair in his arms. Extension of the Blarcus cuddle scene in Terminator Salvation. Merely hinting at romantic considering the setting. Rating for a TINY bit of language...just in case.


Had the urge to jot this down while watching T: Salvation for the dozenth time :P

Takes place during the famous cuddle scene b/w Marcus and Blair-I pretty much just extended it a bit.

Don't own anything related to anything, plz RnR if u like!

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She had fallen asleep only a few minutes after their brief (and somewhat stirring) discussion.

Marcus looked down at the woman dozing against his chest. Blair had initially acted strong-willed—even a bit cocky—towards him, brushing away his concern for her wound. But after the ambush of the assholes, he'd immediately noticed the change in her demeanor.

She was afraid…she wouldn't admit it, failed to show it, but he knew. He could understand; considering the threat of being gang-raped and blown away by a group of men who'd obviously devolved into nothing more than animals, Marcus did not blame her for being shaken up.

She was also clingy. He didn't really mind it; she'd said she was cold (although there was a fired right there to warm her up)…but he believed she'd curled up to him just as much out of unease.

She was grateful, and Marcus truly felt she was too much so. He didn't deserve her thanks, because in another life, he had done things just as terrible as attacking a defenseless woman…and worse.

She'd told him he was a good man. That hit him hard. He was not….and he said so. He wanted to tell her why he was not, he wanted to tell her about the immoral and unjust things he'd done before...before…

Before he'd died.

But that would mean telling her that he'd DIED.

And that would not only confuse the hell out of her, but also probably make her think he was crazy.

He remembered dying, and yet here he was.

Maybe he was crazy.

He found he couldn't sleep. He wasn't even tired, although he really should be. No muscles hurt despite all the walking (and ass-kicking). He wasn't hungry, and he wasn't thirsty.

It just did not make sense...

He shifted slightly, and thought back to when he'd first walked into the city. The "T-600" he'd run into…pretty much looked like a metal skeleton of a man. He wondered if….

A sound broke his thoughts.

His eyes darted up from Blair's sleeping form and past the smaller but still burning fire.

The man she'd shot came limping up towards them, supported by one of his friends. They looked scared—as they should be—but kept edging closer.

Marcus could see there was something in his hand.

He wasn't taking any chances.

Leaning forward slightly, he very purposefully tightened his grip on the woman in his arms, and raised his other hand to show the gun he'd just pulled from Blair's waist. Staring them down, he shook his head slowly. His silent message was clear: "Keep coming and I'll fucking kill you."

But they didn't stop. Now just a few feet from the other side of the fire, they continued to limp toward him. Marcus aimed the pistol at the man's supporter.

They stopped then.

And the still bleeding man tossed what was in his hand across the sand to Marcus's feet.

Blair's medicine kit. The one she'd given them.

As they raised their hands in submission and turned to stagger away, Marcus used his foot to edge the pack closer so he could grab it without waking Blair.

She'd given them all she had, despite what they had done to her.

And they'd given it back.

A realization struck him then… more than one actually.

He looked down at his still intense grip on Blair's body.

Realization One: He was unusually protective of this woman that he didn't even know.

Realization Two: Maybe she was right about second chances.

If those men—correction—rats—could turn around and show an ounce of humanity and kindness against their filthy and violent nature, then maybe he could make similar changes in himself.

Maybe he could discover a nature completely opposite of the one he'd existed with in his old life.

Maybe he could be the good man Blair thought he was.

He closed his eyes and placed a hand over the one Blair had resting on his chest. He could feel his heartbeat through her fingers. He didn't know how he'd come to live again, in this new and decimated world, but he had a second chance.

He wouldn't waste it.


End file.
